Ask any Cincinnati Reds fan, and they will probably tell you that the last thing they want is to see their top prospect, Alfredo Duno, anywhere near a bench-clearing incident. But on Friday in Dayton, they might have made an exception. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound prospect had to be physically held back by his own coaches after one of the strangest and most frustrating umpiring decisions of the minor league season. One that completely sent the game off the rails!
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At the bottom of the ninth, with nobody out, Captains reliever Donovan Zsak threw a 3-2 pitch that hit Dragon’s Esmith Pineda’s elbow guard. Though the camera caught it clearly, without the option of a video replay in the minor leagues, the umpires had to make a judgment call. So, home plate umpire Eli Cox consulted field umpire Brice McCormick, before ruling the pitch a foul ball, believing it had actually clipped the bat instead of Pineda’s. This got everyone shocked.
Instead of taking first base, Pineda, who was visibly stunned by that call, had to stay in the box and continue the at-bat. Joey DeBerardino later posted the entire sequence on X, calling it “absolutely wild scenes” at Day Air Ballpark.
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WATCH: Here is the full sequence in order of the blown HBP call that eventually led to a benches-clearing scuffle between the Dragons and Lake County Captains, plus four ejections in High-A on Friday night in Dayton.
Absolutely wild scenes at Day Air Ballpark. pic.twitter.com/tI3fnQvzfZ
— Joey DeBerardino (@JoeyDeBerardino) May 16, 2026
As play resumed, Pineda swung and missed to record the first out of the frame. Zsak was pumped after recording the strikeout and took his celebrations a step further. The lefty reliever began to walk towards home plate near Dayton’s dugout, gesturing and saying things, which evidently set off the Dragons.
As the dragons charged the field, benches cleared in the captains’ dugout also. The two teams collided in an all-out brawl, though no punches were thrown. Once both sides were restrained, the umpires tossed Zsak and Reds No. 1 prospect Alfredo Duno.
But peace did not come yet. Loud boos filled Day Air Ballpark as Luis Flores’ very next pitch hit Johnny Ascanio. The umps had prepared ahead of time by already issuing a bench warning, so everyone remained in place this time. However, they ejected Flores despite his claims that the HBP was not intentional.
Before the high-intensity ninth, Dragons’ Yerlin Confidan had tied the score at 4-4 with a home run in the eighth. However, Lake County’s Jace LaViolette brought his team back in the lead, 6-4, with a two-run double.
Logan McGuire recorded the final two outs of the game, sealing Lake County’s victory. The teams will face off again on Saturday.
Following the game, the Dragons’ outfielder Kien Vu revealed that any remaining ‘bad blood’ would only make the game more exciting on Saturday.
“If a little bad blood forms, then it will be maybe even a little more exciting to play them. But like I said, at the end of the day, we’re all competitors, and I think they all recognize that too,” Vu told Dayton Daily News. “We’re not going to try to fight each other off the field. If we try to fight each other on the field, then I’d say pack the seats and get ready for a good game.”
Vu is hitting .248 with 6 homers and .808 OPS this season. He was the Reds’ ninth-round pick in 2025. Following the game, Morillo shared his views on the controversial hit-by-pitch call.
Dragons’ manager disappointed with umpires’ decisions
When Cox ruled the clear HBP as a foul ball, the Dragons’ manager, Julio Morillo, came rushing in to defend his team. But his argument with Cox earned him an ejection. The home crowd showed their opinion of the ejection with loud boos.
“Obviously, they made a big mistake,” Morillo told Dayton Daily News after the game. “And I think they have to own that. It was a clear hit by pitch — can’t miss that … can’t miss that … both of them can’t miss that.”
What frustrated Morillo even more was that the umpires reportedly consulted Zsak and took his word before delivering the controversial verdict. Zsak had said it was a foul ball.
“They can’t just rely on what the pitcher says after he hits somebody. I hope they go back and watch the video, and they gotta own that, they gotta know that they made a mistake,” stated the manager.
The manager also revealed that he was not proud of being ejected. But it does not mean that he will not step up for his team. Morillo ultimately ended up watching the rest of the game and the ensuing drama on TV.
Written by
Edited by
Arunaditya Aima